Top roll loading device



April 6, 1943. 1.. D. COBB TOP ROLL LOADING DEVICE Filed Jan. 2, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 1 :5 lNve/vrola; LELAND D. COBB.

i HIS ATTORNFY April 4 L. D. COBB 2,315,936

TOP ROLL LOADING DEVICE I FiledJan. 2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IIIIIIIIIIIIII /NVEN7'OR; LELAND 0. C055.

HIS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1943 TOP ROLL LOADING DEVICE Leland D.Cobb, Forestville, Conn, assignor to General Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application January 2, 1942, Serial No. 425,416

20 Claims.

This invention relates to top roll loading devices as used in drawing,roving, spinning and other textile machines, and particularly to apressure applying mechanism for distributing downward pressures to aplurality of top rolls.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved and simplifieddevice for applying and distributing pressures to a plurality of toprolls. A further object is to provide a pressure applying mechanism fora plurality of top rolls and which distributes a loading pressure to theend portions of one top roll and to the central portions of the othertop rolls. Another object is to provide a loading mechanism and top rollconstruction wherein rotatable friction is eliminated between theloading mechanism and the top rolls.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of thecharacter indicated, the invention consists in the various mattershereinafter described and claimed.

, In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view showing the application of mypressure loading mechanism;

Figure 2 is an end view of a conventional spinning frame and showing oneembodiment of my loading mechanism Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view ofthe parts shown in Figure 2; 1

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary views in longitudinal section throughtop rolls particularly adapted for use with my loading mechanism; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing another embodiment ofmy loading mechanism.

My invention is illustrated in connection with parts of a spinning framewherein a roller beam Ill supports a plurality of roll stands, one ofwhich is designated at H. I Each roll stand provides bearings forrotatably supporting a plurality of bottom rolls l2, l3 and M which aresuitably rotatably driven by mechanism not shown. In accordance withusual practice, front, middle and rear top drawing rolls IS, IS and Ilhave their reducing outer ends loosely received in nonbottoming relationwithin guide slots 18 in cap bars 20 pivoted at their rearward ends to across rod 22 supported by the roll stands I I, and these guide slotsl8.locate the top rolls respectively in peripherally supported rollingengagement with the corresponding bottom rolls therebeneath. Strips ofyarn, thread or other suitable strips of intermingled fibers, as S, arefed between the rotating top and bottom rolls to produce a desiredattenuating operation, and the pressures exerted upon these strips S bythe successive sets of rolls are controlled by my loading mechan sm.

One form of my front top roll [5 is illustrated servs to hold the toproll partsin unit-handling assembled relation and has a necked outer end32 which loosely fits in the slot IE to vertically guide this top rolll5. These necked ends 32 are non-rotatably engaged by my loading devicein a manner to be described.

One form of my middle and rear top rolls l6 and I1 is illustratedin.Fig. 4, wherein a rotatable shaft 34 has spaced roll members 35covered with suitable cots 35 that rotatably engage both the strips Sand the correspondingly positioned roll portions R on the bottom rollsl3 and I4. These roll members 35 are demountably secured to the ends ofthe shaft 34, as by dog point set screws 31 threaded in the necked outerends 38 of the roll members, and the necked ends 38 are loosely andvertically guided by the slots 18. A counterbore in the inner end ofeach roll member 35 frictionally receives andsupports the outer racering of a ball bearing 40 which has a freely rotatable inner raceringsurrounding the shaft 34 in spaced relation. These inner race rings,which axially extend beyond the outer race rings and towards each other,co-operatively support a sleeve 4| that is non-rotatably engaged by myloading mechanism as will appear.

My pressure loading mechanism includes a generally T-shaped saddle 42provided with a cross bar 43 from which a shank 44 extends rearwardlyand substantially at right angles. The cross bar 43, which issubstantially horizontally disposed forwardly of and above the front toproll l5, has its ends bent rearwardly and downwardly to provide rollerengaging arms 45, the

ends of these arms being shaped to provide stepped portions 46 that restupon and fit over the necked ends 32 of the top roll l5 as best illustrated in Fig. 1. Each stepped portion 46 includes a downwardlyextending tongue 41 which overlies the outer end 01' the collar 23. Thistongue 41 loosely fits within the groove I8 and is offset from the arm45 by a horizontally disposed foot 48 arcuately curved to substantiallymatingly seat upon the necked outer end 32 of the collar 29 so thatdownward pressure applied on the saddle 42 will be transmitted to theouter ends of the front top roll I to urge this top roll with desiredpressure into supported rolling contact with the corresponding bottomroll l2. With this construction, the ball bearings 25 providesubstantially frictionless rotation of the top roll point intermediateof its ends so that the shank 44 will be free to longitudinally tilt andpermit an sleeve-24-about the shaft 25 whichdoes not r0-" tate, and theend collars 28 will non-rotatably engage the stepped portions 45 andwill be rotatably received in the guide slots I8.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative construction for the stepped portions 45 onthe ends of the crossbar 43. In this form of my invention, downwardlyand rearwardly extending arms I45 corresponding to the arms 45 eachterminate in .a foot I45 provided with an arcuateface I48 thatsubstantially matingly seats in a peripheral groove I49 cut in thenecked end of thecollar 28. I preferably interrupt the face I48 with agroove I50 so that the foot I45 will not rock on the collar 28 in theevent of an improper seated relation of the face I48 in the groove I48.

The rearward end of the shank 44 tiltably and slidably seats in alongitudinally disposed groove 58 formed in the upper portion of a rearsaddle 52 provided at its rearward end with a yoke 53 seated upon thesleeve 4| between the roll members 35 of the rear top roll I1, and theforward end of this saddle 52 has a foot 54 that rests upon thecorresponding sleeve 4| of the middle top roll I5. To laterally positionthe saddle 52, I may provide a depending portion within the yoke 53which seats in a peripheral groove 55 out in the sleeve 4| of the reartop roll I1. If desired, this groove 55 may be eliminated and the yoke53 may be freely slidable axially of the sleeve 4| in which event bothsaddles 42 and 52 will be laterally positioned by the stepped portions46. The ball bearings 48 in the middle and rear top rolls I5 and I!facilitate free rotation of the roll members 35 about the sleeves 4Iwhich non-rotatably engage the saddle member 52.

' Downward pressure is appliedthrough my loading mechanism anddistributed to all of the top rolls through the co-operating saddlemembers 42 and 52 by a stirrup 55 which is U-shaped in cross section andwhich has a bifurcated hook-shaped upper end 51 in straddling relationto the saddle members and is loosely pivoted by a pin 58 to the shank44. This pin location is preferably so located from the shank 44 thatgreater pressure will be delivered to the front top roll I5 than to themiddle and rear top rolls I5 and II. An amplifying lever 53 has a hookedforward end fulcrumed in a vertically adjustable eye 58 secured to theroller beam III. This lever 59 passes through and rests upon the bottomof a slot 5| in the stirrup 55, and a weight or other suitable meansacts through a link 52 to pull downwardly on the rearward end of thelever 53 to exert the required downward pressure on the stirrup 55.

Occasionally the strips of thread S or the like which are passed betweenthe sets of top and bottom rolls have uneven portions, and my loadingdevice facilitates individual tilting and individual vertical movementsof the top rolls with respect to each other while maintaining thedesired downward pressures on each of the top rolls. To accomplish this,the longitudinal slot 58 is up and down since the saddle 52 up and downmovement of the front top roll I5 relative to the other top rollswithout changing its fulcrum point. The middle and rear top rolls l5 andIl may individually tilt and individually move tiltably rests on thesleeve members 4|.

Iclaim:

1. A pressure applying mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollscomprising a pair of connected load applying members respectivelyresting on the opposite ends of one of said top rolls, another loadapplying member bearing on at least one of said other top rolls, andweight applying means distributing downward pressures to all of saidload applying members.

2. A pressure applying mechanism for a plu-. rality of spaced top rollscomprising a pair of interconnected load applying members respec-'tively resting on the opposite ends of one of said top rolls, anotherload applying member bearing on the intermediate portions of at leastone of said other top rolls, and weight applying means simultaneouslydistributing downward loading pressure to all of said load applyingmembers.

3. A pressure applying mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollscomprising .a pair of saddles, one of said saddles having end portionsrespectively seated in mating relation on the opposite ends of one ofsaid top rolls, said other saddle bearing on an intermediate portion ofat least one of said other top rolls, and means distributing downwardpressure in both of said saddles.

4. A pressure applying mechanism for a plurality of top rolls comprisinga pair of saddles, one of said saddles resting on an intermediateportion of one of said top rolls, said other saddle resting on theopposite end portions of another of said top rolls and upon said firstmentioned saddle, and means applying a downward pressure to said othersaddle.

5. In a pressure applying mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollshaving reduced rounded ends, a front saddle longitudinally straddlingone of said top rolls, laterally extending arms on the saddle and seatedon of said top roll, a rear saddle bearing upon the intermediate portionof at least one of said other top rolls, and means for simultaneouslyapplying downward pressure to each of said saddles.

6. A pressure applying mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollscomprising a saddle, spaced roll engaging portions on said saddle andsupported on the opposite ends of one of said top rolls, a second saddleprovided with a roll engaging member supported on a central portion ofone of said other top rolls, a shank on said first mentioned saddle andbearing on said second saddle, and downward pressure applying meansengaging said shank.

7. A pressure loading mechanism for a plurality of rolls comprising asaddle, a cross arm on said saddle and having end portions resting onthe reduced rounded ends the opposite end portions of one of said rolls,a second saddle, end portions of said second saddle respectivelywestingon intermediate portions of two of said other rolls, a shank extendingrearwardly from said cross arm and resting on the second saddle, anddownwardly applying pressure means engaging said shank.

8. A pressure applying mechanism for a plurality of top rolls comprisinga pair of saddle members, one of said saddle members having end portionsrespectively supported on central portions of two of said top rolls, across arm on said other saddle member, laterally projecting arms on thecross arm and having end seating portions fitting over the opposite endportions of one of said other top rolls, a shank extending outwardlyfrom an intermediate portion of said cross arm, said first mentionedsaddle having a groove which tiltably receives and supports the free endof said shank, and weight applying means connected'to said shank.

9. A pressure loading mechanism for a plurality of top rolls comprisinga pair of saddle members, one of said saddle members having a footresting on the central portion of one of the top rolls, a cross arm onsaid other saddle member and having end portions matingly seated on theopposite end portions of one of said other top rolls, a shank extendingoutwardly from the cross arm, said first mentioned saddle having adepressed portion which supports a portion of said shank for tiltablemovement transversely and longitudinally of the shank, and weightapplying means connected to said shank.

10. A pressure loading mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollscomprising a pair of saddle members, end portions on one of said saddlemembers respectively resting on intermediate portions of two of said toprolls, said other saddle member being substantially T-shaped with arearwardly extending shank tiltably resting on said first mentionedsaddle member, end portions on the T-shaped saddle member respectivelyseated on the opposite ends of another of said top rolls, and weightingmeans urging said shank downwardly.

11. A pressure loading mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollscomprising a saddle having a cross arm, load applying members on thecross arm and matingly seated on the opposite ends of one of said toprolls, a second saddle having a foot tiltably resting on an intermediateportion of another of said top rolls, a shank extending outwardly fromsaid cross arm and tiltably resting at one end on said second saddle, astirrup pivotably connected to said shank, and weighting means connectedto said stirrup.

12. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with aplurality of pairs of top and bottom rolls, the individuals of each pairbeing mounted one above the other and means supporting said pairs ofrolls to operate successively on a strip of intermingled fibers fedbetween them, of a T-shaped saddle including a cross arm, end portionson the cross arm shaped to overlie and matingly seat on the opposite endportions of the front top roll, a second saddle bearing on two of saidother top rolls, and means for simultaneously applying downward pressureto both of said saddles.

13. In a pressure loading mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollshaving reduced cylindrical ends, a saddle, a cross arm on said saddle,arcuate end faces on said cross arm matingly seated on the oppositereduced ends of one of said top rolls, a second saddle resting on theintermediate portions of two of said other top rolls, and means applyingdownward pressure to both of said saddles.

14. In a pressure applying mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollshaving reduced cylindrical ends, a saddle, stepped end portions on thesaddle respectively fitting over and supported on the opposite reducedends of one of said top rolls, a second saddle resting on at least oneof said other top rolls, and means simultaneously applying downwardpressure to both of said saddles.

15. In a pressure loading mechanism for a plurality of spaced top rollshaving reduced cylindrical ends, a saddlehaving a cross arm, stepped endportions on the cross arm and respectively overlying the reducedcylindrical ends on one of said rolls, each of said stepped end portionsincluding a curved portion seated on one of said cylindrical ends and adownwardly extending tongue overlying said cylindrical end, a secondsaddle member resting on at least one of said other top rolls, and meansapplying downward pressure to both of said saddle members.

16. A pressure loading device for simultaneously applying downwardpressure to the front, middle and rear top rolls in a spinning framecomprising a T-shaped front saddle, end arms on said saddle resting onthe opposite ends of the front top roll, a rear saddle supported by thecentral portions of the middle and rear top rolls, a rearwardlyextending shank on said front saddle and having a rearward end supportedon said rear saddle, and pressure applying means including a strirrupextending upwardly between said middle and rear top rolls, said stirruphaving a hook-shaped upper end pivotably connected to said shank betweenthe front and middle top rolls.

17. In a drawing mechanism of the character described, the combinationwith a plurality of pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls, theindividuals of each pair being mounted one above the other forsuccessive drawing operations on a thread, of a T-shaped saddleincluding a cross arm having laterally projecting end portions seated onthe opposite end portions of the front top roll, a rear saddle bearingon two other of said top rolls, a shank on said T-shaped saddle securedat its forward end to said cross arm and having a rearward end restingon said rear saddle, a stirrup having a bifurcated hook-shaped upper endstraddling said shank and said rear saddle, a pivotal connection betweenthe upper end of said stirrup and said shank, and weight applying meanssecured to the lower end of said stirrup.

18. A top roll loading device for distributing downward pressure tofront, middle and rear spaced top rolls as used in a spinning machine,the front roll having non-rotatable reduced ends and the other rollshaving non-rotatable intermediate necked portions, said loading devicecomprising a substantially T-shaped saddle provided with a cross arm, ashank extending laterally from said cross arm above the intermediateportions of said top rolls, end portions of said cross arm matinglyseated on the opposite reduced ends of the front top roll, a secondsaddle supported at its ends on the intermediate necked portions of themiddle and rear top rolls, said second saddle tiltably supporting therearward end of said shank, and a weighting mechanism including astirrup pivoted at its upper end to said shank.

19. In a drawing mechanism of the character described, the combinationwith a plurality of pairs of drawing rolls, the individuals or each pairbeing mounted one above the: other and means supporting said rolls tooperate successively on a sliver fed between them, of a T-shaped saddleincluding a bar having end portions resting on opposite end portions oi!the front top roll, a second saddle member bearing on one or more ofsaid rear top rolls, the shank of said T-shaped saddle bearing on saidsecond saddle member, and means connected with said shank to applyweight to said saddle and therethrough to said top roll and to saidsecond saddle member.

20. In a drawing mechanism of the character described, the combinationwith a plurality of pairs of drawing rolls,. the individuals of eachpair being mounted one above the other and means supporting said rollsto operate successively on a sliver fed between them, of a T-shapedsaddle including a bar having end portions resting on opposite endportions of the front top roll, a second saddle member bearing on one ormore of said rear top rolls, the shank of said T-shaped saddle bearingon said second saddle member, and means connected with said shank toapply weight to said saddle and therethrough to said top roll and tosaid second saddle member, said last-named means including a stirruppivoted to said shank and bifurcated at its upper end portion for thereception between the arms thereof 01' said shank and said second saddlemember.

LELAND D. COBB.

